Smallest away following with the villa - competitive first team game

[wittonwarrior]

To be honest up to 80/81 our away support back in Div 1 was dire outside of the midlands games.

Even earlier for example v orient last game of season if 100 were there I would be exaggerating

[Meanwood Villa]

225 at the Luiznik stadium Moscow on a -12c night to watch our youth team take on CSKA.

At least you got a meal out of it

[JD]

Chelsea away New Years Day 1990 was a small following. I think the support was in the 100's rather than 1000"s. A bitter freezing day, made better by  3-0 win.

Nah, we took loads that day

I didn't think we did. Maybe I'm just getting old and just remember how cold it was. 

[Damo70]

My memory of Palace away in the early 90s were that there was plenty of standing space, think it was a 0-0 too.

My memories of Selhurst Park are of us having a terrace behind the goal if we were playing Charlton or Wimbledon but having seats in the lower tier of one side if we were playing Palace. I know I was standing behind the goal when we lost to Charlton to pretty much send us down in 1987 and also for the Dalian umbrella game and the FA Cup penalty shoot out game against Wimbledon. When we lost 1-0 to a Gary Thompson goal against Palace in the 1990 title run in we were in seats at the side near one corner and very close to the pitch.

[Charlie8182]

I was at that 3-0 win at Chelsea on 1/1/90, I like many others was hungover and as a result a bit quieter than normal but I’m sure there were still quite a few of us, especially after beating Man Utd & Arsenal over Christmas.

Im not quite sure why I ended up going to a 2-1 Simod Cup defeat at Derby in November 1988 but you could quickly count our sparse following for that one.

Big Rons 1st season in 1991/92 I went to all but one of our away games, our big following at Anfield in March for the FA cup game was sandwiched by night games at Leeds & Notts County (both 0-0), I remember us only having very small gatherings for both of those.

[Bernie]

Nadir must have been mid 80's as you can't really count the pre-division 3 days. My guess would be a few trips to Newcastle.

I was at St James's in the 86/87 relegation season and it was bloody freezing!   I've just found this on YouTube and there was more there than I remember (I think I can spot my brother when we equalize, but not me or my mate - and we were were standing together.)   At the end, we were kept in for ages and then asked how we were getting home.   A number of us said by train and we were given a lift back to Newcastle Central Station in the back of a police transit.

That sounds spookily similar to a trip there at the end of the 1976/77 season when it felt like there were maybe a few dozen, if even that, of Villa fans there, and a handful of us were given a lift back to the station in the back of a police van. In contrast it was warm May day, and from memory we lost, 2-1(?).

[Richard E]

I was at that 3-0 win at Chelsea on 1/1/90, I like many others was hungover and as a result a bit quieter than normal but I’m sure there were still quite a few of us, especially after beating Man Utd & Arsenal over Christmas.

Im not quite sure why I ended up going to a 2-1 Simod Cup defeat at Derby in November 1988 but you could quickly count our sparse following for that one.

Big Rons 1st season in 1991/92 I went to all but one of our away games, our big following at Anfield in March for the FA cup game was sandwiched by night games at Leeds & Notts County (both 0-0), I remember us only having very small gatherings for both of those.

It was absolutely freezing at Notts County that night.

[Damo70]

I was at that 3-0 win at Chelsea on 1/1/90, I like many others was hungover and as a result a bit quieter than normal but I’m sure there were still quite a few of us, especially after beating Man Utd & Arsenal over Christmas.

Im not quite sure why I ended up going to a 2-1 Simod Cup defeat at Derby in November 1988 but you could quickly count our sparse following for that one.

Big Rons 1st season in 1991/92 I went to all but one of our away games, our big following at Anfield in March for the FA cup game was sandwiched by night games at Leeds & Notts County (both 0-0), I remember us only having very small gatherings for both of those.

It was absolutely freezing at Notts County that night.

Absolutely. The coldest I have ever been at an away game was that night at Notts County. I think Staunton missed a penalty. The wettest I have ever been at an away game was Huddersfield in 1987. The coldest I have ever been at Villa Park was a ZDS cup tie against Forest. Not the one that was on a Friday night shortly before Christmas 1989, another one a couple of years later. On the other side of the coin I can't remember when I was at the hottest game I can recall. I do remember it was very hot and humid in Rotterdam in 1982.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Did we ever have to play at Luton during their away fans ban ?

[PeterWithesShin]

Did we ever have to play at Luton during their away fans ban ?

3 times I think, only season we didn't was when we were in division 2.

[OzVilla]

Did we ever have to play at Luton during their away fans ban ?

I went to that game in around October 1990 under Venglos, think we lost 2-0 and IIRC it was the day I realised the small amount of hype around Mark Blake (?) was exactly that, he was utter gash.   Remember being surprised at how many Villa had managed to get in though.

[sid1964]

Huddersfield away under SGT, I thought was a decent following, I stood on the terraces in the rain, but we had a good following in the seats.

[Clampy]

One that sticks in my mind was Boro away in the Simod Cup of Zenith Data Systems Cup (I forget which) under SGT. It was the second leg of the semi final which we lost. From memory, there wasn't many of us there at all.

[TheTimVilla]

Did we ever have to play at Luton during their away fans ban ?

My Dad enrolled us as Luton fans, via my Grandfather's Milton Keynes address, to ensure we got tickets!

There was a bit in the programme on Saturday that our record low following is one! Plymouth away in December 1960, in a 4th round replay of the League Cup!

[Pat McMahon]

225 at the Luiznik stadium Moscow on a -12c night to watch our youth team take on CSKA.

At least you got a meal out of it

Ironically Aftab was turned away from a restaurant in Moscow. And it wasn't because  of his behaviour....